The Titanic Explains the World
Ashley Herzog
Posted: Apr 15, 2019 2:19 PM
April 15th, 2019 marks the 107th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. More than a century later, why does this story still captivate so many people’s imaginations? Maybe it’s because, in the words of James Cameron, director of the 1997 Titanic film, “It was like a great novel that really happened.†But as a near-lifelong Titanic aficionado, I have an alternative theory: the sinking of the Titanic was a “lifeboat ethics†scenario involving actual lifeboats. Looking back on the disaster allows people to ask themselves, “Why did this passenger or crew member do what they did? What would I have done?â€
The actions of passengers and crew on board also revealed an enduring truth, and one that’s out of bounds for discussion in politically correct environments: Not all cultures are morally equal. There were people from dozens of countries aboard, including 709 immigrants in third class. Their survival rates, along with witness accounts, reveal cultural differences that remain today. Some cultures value human life, particularly the lives of children and other vulnerable groups, while others let the strong trample over the weak. Some cultures are guided by values like mercy and justice, while in others, “whoever has the gold makes the rules.†These cultural differences played out aboard the Titanic in one of the most dramatic displays the world has ever seen.
For any liberal reading this who already has their outrage antenna up, take a deep breath. I’m not about to defend “Western civilization†or “Judeo-Christian culture†above all others. In fact, the sinking of the Titanic reflected very poorly on the British, who owned and operated the White Star Line. At inquests held into the disaster by various governments, the British repeatedly came across as rancid people who valued titles and inherited wealth above human life. A British couple with the title of "Lord" hogged Lifeboat No. 1 for themselves, their maids, and their yippie dogs. Meanwhile, entire families of British people in third class died. The French were divided along strict class lines, too. French men in first class saved themselves, while all of the French men in second class abided by the "women and children only" rule.
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https://townhall.com/columnists/ashleyherzog/2019/04/15/the-titanic-explains-the-world-n2544806
